Sunday, November 16, 2008

Impact Weekend

Jim Burroway has a comprehensive rundown of the nationwide marriage equality protests that happened yesterday, and Jezebel has a photo gallery. I wonder if the Prop 8 voting would have turned out differently if the protests had happened in the weeks leading up to the election rather than the weeks following. I wonder if they'll make a difference now.

The protests made a difference for me on a very personal level. Saturday morning my phone rang while I was trudging through Costco, and it was my dad. Who had a huge problem when I came out, moreso than anyone else in my family, who behaved really shittily for a few years because of it, but who finally started coming around a couple of years ago.

Dad: Where are you?
Me: At Costco. Where are you?
Dad: What time's your march today?
Me, baffled: 11:30. Where the hell are you?
Dad: Still in California. If I was there I'd be marching right beside you. Raise hell, take names, and don't get hurt.
Me: Okay, will do. Uh, you still owe me a bail bond.
Dad: Ha! Kick ass!

I can't overstate the significance of this, and it made my day, despite an invisible protest that was pretty much over by the time I found it, tucked away in a secluded plaza behind the courthouse. Tucson, come on. If you want to be seen, you gotta wave your flags at Speedway and Campbell in front of the Taco Bell.

Dad finally gets it. I dearly hope the rest of the country isn't far behind.

1 comment:

Damien Huffer said...

I'm so happy such a key member of your family can finally stand behind you in full! I was lucky that my immediate family (the one's that count) never hesitated to support me at least...even if they were in denial for a while. Guess it takes such public volleys in our constant fight for respect to finally win over the hold-outs.